STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Wagner College men’s water polo team kicked off a three-game weekend in the Spiro Sports Center by splitting a Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC)-East Region doubleheader. The Seahawks picked up their second win of the season to the start the day, besting the La Salle University Explorers, 15-12. In the evening match, the Green & White fell to the George Washington University Colonials, 14-8.
Following a tough weekend on the road and playing at home for the first time in 2019, the Seahawks fired on all cylinders in the early going against La Salle.
In the first quarter, Wagner would start off scoring four unanswered goals, before ending the period with a 5-1 advantage. They spread the ball around the pool extremely well, allowing five different players to find the back of the net, including Vuk Bulajic, Shaked Yacoby, Olivér Fodor, Lachlan Trabinger and András Bimbo-Szuhai. From that point, until the end of the game, the Explorers could not close the gap, coming within two goals only once.
The last three quarters of the game would be a back-and-forth affair, with both teams scoring at a very even pace. Following three second quarter goals, by Matthew Miller, Yacoby, and Trabinger, the Seahawks entered the halftime break, leading 9-6.
The third and fourth quarters were much of the same, with Wagner and La Salle both scoring six goals apiece. Fodor would score four of the Seahawks’ six, accompanied by Miller and Bulajic who each added one. The Explorers were led by a pair of centers in sophomore Tyler Williams and senior Luke Waechter, who combined for seven of La Salle’s 12 goals. Waechter notched all four of his in the second half.
Against George Washington, the first quarter was evenly contested, ending knotted at three goals. The Colonials took three different leads in the quarter, but each time the Seahawks responded. Bulajic and Bimbo-Szhuai found find the back of the net for Wagner, including a brace from Bulajic.
The second quarter followed the same storyline that has been a thorn in the heel of the Seahawks all season long, with George Washington scoring four of five goals in the frame. Bimbo-Szuhai bounded in his second goal of the night for Wagner, but the Seahawks entered halftime trailing by a 7-4 score.
In the third quarter, the Seahawks found the back of the net three times, with a pair of goals by Yacoby and a third by Bulajic to complete his hat trick. However, the offensive push left Wagner vulnerable on the defensive side of the pool. The Colonials struck four times in the frame and went into the final quarter with an 11-7 lead.
Bimbó-Szuhai wrapped up a hat-trick in the final eight minutes for Wagner’s lone score as George Washington held on for the win.
Andrew Mavis led GW with four goals, while Gabriele Simonti added a trio. Goalie Matt Taylor made nine saves to collect the victory for the Colonials.
Release courtesy Wagner College Athletics Communications
